The field of the invention pertains to wheel chairs, and, in particular, to the use of a wheel chair to access a pool.
Access to a pool has involved either a ramp or a device that swings out over the pool and lowers a disabled person into the water of a pool.
A problem is that the pool surround surface may be limited in size and not have space for a ramp. Another problem is that a device that swings out over the pool is large and unwieldy.
Another problem is that should space be available to construct a ramp, this is a substantial reconstruction cost to the owner of the pool. Particularly at a hotel, the reconstruction costs may be more than an owner can reasonably expend to keep a pool available. A swing device to move a user of a wheelchair over a pool and to lower and raise the person can also be quite expensive.
A need existed for a device to allow a wheel chair user to access a pool without requiring extensive reconstruction of the facility around the pool.